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ReverbNation Winner ~ Josey Milner

If I could only use one word to describe teen country sensation Josey Milner that word would be “adorable.” She smiled and giggled throughout our interview and I could not help but smile too. I highly recommend watching our interview; you’ll feel fantastic afterwards.

We selected Josey Milner as a winner of our ReverbNation Featured Artist contest because we love her hit single Cowgirls. I can’t sit still when I listen to that song. When I asked Josey to tell me more, she told me how it topped the country music charts: “I’m definitely really proud of that one. It relates to me, because I actually did a rodeo for eight years before I got into music. It went #1 on New Music Weekly’s country chart and #73 on MusicRow CountryBreakout chart.”

When I listen to Josey Milner’s single Not Pretty Enough, I could imagine myself writing something like that when I was her age. I think all women feel that way sometimes. Josey agrees: “It’s a really great song. It was originally written by Kasey Chambers, an Australian artist. Her original version is definitely different than my version. I fell in love with the lyrics and what they represented. There’s a point in time when everyone asks themselves, ‘Am I good enough?’ With that song, I became a national spokesperson for the anti-bullying organization Angels and Doves.”

Up to this point, Josey Milner has not recorded her own lyrics, but that is about to change: “We are in the middle of an EP right now, and we are in the process of writing the last song. Songwriting is definitely in the works. I’m really excited for it.”

Because she has just started songwriting, Josey Milner has not yet collaborated on a single, but she often performs with other musicians. “Around Kansas City, I’ve been able to perform with quite a few of the bands, so that has been pretty cool. I’ve also been able to perform with quite a few big name artists as well. I look for people who are really down-to-earth and really easy to talk to. As far as music goes, I look for stories that people can really relate to and enjoy.”

Josey Milner has a wonderful singing voice for someone so young. I asked Josey how she got into music and how old was she when she knew that she wanted to be a singer: “Growing up, I always loved music and loved performing. I got started singing the national anthem at my rodeos. I was asked to sing at a national convention in St. Louis, Missouri in 2010, almost five years ago. I sang on the main stage and I absolutely loved it. Afterwards, a lot of people came up to me and told me that I was really good. I talked to my parents and we decided to give it a try. So, we flipped gears. I gave up on the rodeo and switched over to music. So far, so good. I’m crossing my fingers!”

Kudos to Josey Milner’s parents for giving her so much love and support! “I’ve grown up with nothing but love and support from my parents. I’ve been very fortunate.”

Josey Milner has a great website and has grown up with the internet. As Josey explains, “Social media is definitely a huge part of society today. It helps a lot of people become successful, especially in the music industry. You are able to communicate with so many people at one point in time. Whenever I have performances or new singles out, I go out and post, ‘Hey, go check it out.’ I’ve grown up with social media, so it’s something that I’m very familiar with. Social media keeps me very busy, but it’s worth it, when I can keep everyone up on everything that I’m doing.”

What advice does Josey Milner have for other young recording artists who are also trying to make a name for themselves? “Just try as hard as you can. You’re going to have bumps, you’re going to have things that seem really hard to get over, but just push through. I know that if I’d given up the first time something went hard, I never would have made it past the first bump in my career. You’re always going to have people saying, ‘You’re no good. You’re never going to get anywhere.’ You’ve got to push through and still believe in yourself and say, ‘Hey, I can do this.’ As long as you believe in yourself, you’ll be able to accomplish so many amazing things.”

I asked Josey to tell me the one thing she decided to do that really made a difference in her career: “I think my rodeo background really made a difference. You don’t really hear of any country music artists any more who say they did rodeo. A lot of them may have grown up on a farm, with country roots, but I grew up in the rodeo, which is about as country as you can get. Of course, I grew up on a farm with the horses and the dogs and going out into the field with my uncle.”

So, then I had to ask Josey Milner about her eight years with the rodeo: “I did youth rodeo, which has more events than professional rodeo. In youth rodeo, I did barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying and breakaway roping. I did a little bit of everything and I loved it. It’s an every weekend deal, so there was no way I could do music and the rodeo. I still go out to the rodeo, to see some friends and watch it.”

What’s up next for Josey Milner? “We have the EP that I’m working on. I also have a new single coming out. It’s a work-in-progress. We were hoping to have it out in October, but we’ve had quite a few obstacles as far as studio time. I’m also getting dates lined up for this coming new year. I’m really taking my career as far as I can. This past year was amazing, and we’re hoping next year will be even better.” Josey squeezes in performances, while she attends college.

I can’t wait for her new EP, because I can’t wait to hear Josey Milner sing her own lyrics. She’ll have to come back for a follow-up interview, when she’s close to releasing it. We look forward to see her smiling face again.